Chapter 8
(In the Gryffindor Common Room)
"So, Blake, is it?" Ron asked the brown haired boy.
"Yes," he replied back then added, "Blake Richmond."
Ron eyed the boy once more, then sighed and said in a bored practiced voice, "My name is Ron Weasely, pleasure to meet you. I was supposed to be your guide around the school, but I can see that Hermione has taken care of that."
Blake chuckled and then leaned back into the red, plushy chair. Ron immediately stopped his little speech and asked, "What!"
"Oh, it's nothing, but it's seems like your having loads of fun doing the whole welcoming speech to me," Blake explained. "And it seems to me like you don't really want to do this, but instead you would rather talk to your friend about something important."
Ron laughed hesitantly, and then raked his hand through his shoulder length flaming red hair.
"Could you tell real easily?"
Blake nodded, his eyes caught the vibrant light from the flames in the fireplace, and this made his amber eyes shine intensely. The girls who were sitting near the two Gryffindor boys, gasped then giggled when they saw Blake's eyes flash with brilliance. Just when Blake raised his wand, Harry came down from the boy's dormitories.
"Hullo," Harry murmured to the two boys.
He cautiously looked at Blake, Blake returned Harry's look with a slight nod. Harry then sat next to his friend red haired friend. It was quiet for awhile, not in a pleasant way either, it was very awkward. Ron took this chance to ask Harry questions about Hermione.
"So, Harry, erm- what exactly happened with you and Hermione?"
Harry was about to answer him back, but Blake immediately asked, "Are you and Hermione together?"
"No, but why do you ask?"
"Hope you two wouldn't mind, but I find myself attracted to her," Blake responded bluntly.
Ron had a pained look on his face while Harry had a demanding I-want-to-know-why-Blake-likes-Hermione look.
"You two don't' mind right?" Blake questioned to his fellow Gryffindors.
Harry looked at Ron for answers, but received none. Ron sighed in defeat, while Harry looked blankly at Blake and said in a chocked, held back voice, "I don't know."
After Hermione left her room, she walked downstairs, and then laid down on the red sofa. She looked at the cold and empty fireplace. Hermione grabbed out her wand and lighted the hearth, flames licked the insides of the silver and gold fireplace. She snuggled up in the couch looking into the fire, while in her mind, thoughts roamed around.
"I wonder what Blake's doing right now," Hermione thought, then added, "Now I hope Harry and Ron haven't done anything stupid so that I'd stop liking him."
She froze immediately, thinking about what she had just said about liking Blake.
"I don't even know the guy," Hermione said out loud.
"I'm guessing you're talking about Richmond, am I correct?"
Hermione quickly turned her head towards the voice. She could recognize the voice from anywhere; it was Malfoy, as usual probably dying for a chance to tease her. And there he was, leaning against one of the big, fat beige colored pillars with his arms crossed in front of his chest.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Hermione asked in an annoyed tone.
Draco started to walk towards the green couch and sat down while saying, "Well, I couldn't help but listening you talking about Blake. Also, don't you think it's a little strange that he's only interested in you? And this is compared to all of the other girls in Hogwarts. No offense or anything, but you aren't the only girl who's stunningly beautiful."
The corners of the brunette's mouth started to curve upwards.
"Malfoy, are you inferring to me that you think I'm stunningly beautiful?"
"Are you kidding me? I was talking about ... Potter! Yeah, and obviously now Blake who might actually think that way!" Draco quickly covered up his mistake. (a/n: I guess you could say that Draco thinks that Hermione IS beautiful... both physically and mentally : )
"Oh..." Hermione replied, still not believing him.
Draco leaned back on the green couch and smirked, trying to maintain his position in this little chat with Hermione.
"What? Are you disappointed that I don't think you're beautiful?"
Hermione shot Draco a menacing look than spat out, "In your dreams!"
Draco chuckled softly while Hermione continued to glare at him.
"Well, now that we've talked about my life, let's talk about yours," Hermione faked a sympathetic expression while doing a brilliant impersonation of Oprah Winfrey, of course Draco Malfoy didn't know who Oprah Winfrey was.
Draco started to disagree but she cut him off by firing him a question.
"Are you interested in someone?"
"No," Draco responded back in a cool tone.
"So you're not even interested in Pansy Parkinson either?"
Draco looked as if he swallowed something ill.
"She's practically my sister! You could say it's like you and Weasely or you and Potter dating!"
Hermione considered that for a moment and slowly shook her head in understandment, but then shot out another question.
"So Harry and I being together would be out of the question."
Draco raised one eyebrow, then asked, "Are you telling me that now you like Potter too!"
"I didn't say that, I just meant if Harry and I were together, would it be weird?" Hermione explained more clearly.
"Err-yeah, definitely it'd be weird, I guess. Well only for those girls who despise you completely because Potter's only interested in you, and maybe same goes with the guys for Potter because you're only interested in Golden Boy. And I'd definitely be surprised of course; I've always thought that you two were practically like family."
"Hmm... then what about Blake?" Hermione questioned just for fun. She was having fun and enjoyed that Draco was getting all passionate about this whole idea who she should date or shouldn't.
"Are you kidding me! That idiot who thinks he's so bloody attractive to other girls and probably is just a big arse? Just go be with Potter, anyone besides Blake," Draco instructed sternly.
"But didn't you just say that it would be weird for me and Harry being a couple?" Hermione pointed out.
"Well, anyone besides Blake would be fine," Draco responded.
"I think you're starting to sound like an older brother who's trying to protect his little sister from all the evil little boys out there in the school," Hermione teased.
"Riiiight," Draco stretched out the syllables.
Hermione glanced up at the clock, which only read 9:15 pm. Draco's eyes followed her, Hermione felt him looking at her. She immediately felt uncomfortable so made an excuse that she was tired and wanted to go to bed early. While getting up Hermione told Draco good night, but then whispered, "You know Malfoy; you've been acting weird lately."
Hermione then immediately turned around to walk up the stairs and into her bedroom. Draco actually did hear the little tidbit of what the Gryffindor had just said, but he still couldn't believe it himself.
In the morning, Hermione had strong intentions of not flirting with Blake Richmond, and this was of course a very new to her since she rarely flirted. Especially her thinking about guys in the morning was extremely rare. Hermione stretched in her crimson red sheets, she looked at a clock that was placed in her room, and it read 8:30 am. Classes wouldn't start until ten o'clock, so she had enough time to walk around the school, take a shower, eat breakfast, go to the library and then go to class. Hermione quickly jumped out of her bed and walked towards her trunk, she didn't really have enough time for unpacking and placing her clothes inside the mahogany colored wardrobe. She rummaged inside her trunk looking for her white Addidas track suit that had two parallel black stripes on the sides. When she found them, she put them on, tied her hair, and then opened her door to find Draco Malfoy in a similar outfit as hers, except his was black with white stripes. Draco looked at Hermione, sort of shocked from the sudden opening of the door.
"I see you're out to exercise?" Hermione asked to the still frozen Draco.
"Erm-.. Yeah," Draco coughed while slowly moving towards the staircases.
Hermione followed Draco down the stairs, but paused when they were about to turn to go to the portrait opening.
"Malfoy, um... about last night," Hermione started, hoping that the rights were about to come out of her mouth.
"Nothing happened, we just talked," Draco finished Hermione's sentence without even looking her way.
Hermione crossed her arms across her chest, she did this very often when she was angry or just nervous, and right now she was angry.
"MALFOY!" she yelled.
Draco slowly turned around, he looked angry for some reason also.
"What do you want!" Draco spat out.
Hermione had a questioning look on her face; she was really confused of what was happening. Last night they were getting along fine, but now Draco was being his usual self, a self-centered prat.
"Malfoy, I thought that we were all ... right, you know, being actual friends," Hermione managed to say.
Draco had a disgusted look on his face; he turned back around and headed towards the portrait hole.
"Don't you dare leave without explaining what's happening?" Hermione yelled to the Slithering.
Draco quickly turned around and walked quickly towards her, his face only inches from her face.
"You want to know what's happening. One, you think that we're friends, when we're not. Why would I be friends with a mudblood bitch like you? Two, we're never going to be friends; I have to uphold my position as a pureblood. And three, that little chat we had last night was nothing, and always will be nothing, YOU are nothing to me," Draco whispered in a harsh tone.
Hermione's eyes welled up in tears, one tear threatening to fall down her face. She couldn't let him see that he was getting under her skin like he always did.
"You know what Malfoy? I thought you changed, but I guess not. You're still an egotistical, self-centered brat who will never have anyone in the world to care for you. You're going to be heartless and cruel just like your father, which means you're going to end up in the same stupid mess as he was in!" Hermione yelled with all her might. She pushed Draco roughly on his chest, and then ran out the room.
Draco bent his head down and sighed.
"She doesn't know what she's doing to me. Every fucking time I see her, something is the matter with me, I try hard not to stutter, so I just end up hurting her badly. What the hell is wrong with me," Draco yelled out loud.
Draco slammed his fist into a nearby couch making a loud resounding thump. He soon kicked ferociously into the green couch, partially damaging his big toe.
"God damnit!" the platinum haired boy yelled out.
He obviously didn't realize that the brunette Gryffindor could have been standing right outside the portrait hole, listening to every single thing that he said. Hermione slid slowly down on the ground, her head leaning against the stone wall. She was shocked that Draco would feel that way about her, didn't he hate her? It's the way things are, him hating her and her hating him, it's the regular why she had lived since the first year of Hogwarts. She was so used to him being angry at her, but since this year over the summer and now, he's been nicer to her. Almost scary even, but still, she sort of enjoyed that the both of them were getting along. And now, after what she had just listened to, she didn't want to be near him anymore if she's making him do this. Hermione started to run through the corridors, when she finally reached the Hogwarts grounds outside. She immediately started to run, trying to put everything behind her by running and running, as fast as she could. While running, she thought about just moving out of the Head Common Rooms completely, if she and Malfoy are becoming to be a problem there was no reason for her to stay in the same living quarters as him. She immediately thought of Ginny, but then realized that Ginny was in a year lower than her, so she thought of Lavender and Parvarti. They aren't really all that bad, if you get used to their excessive talk about boys and their high pitched giggling.
Hermione ran around the lake, towards the Quidditch Field, until she met her destination. She gazed up towards the many towers that surrounded the football sized stadium. (A/n: I'm going British people, football soccer) Hermione slowly walked through the stadium, finally reaching the grassy stadium; she sat down on the grass. She soon heard two male voices that became familiar to her; they belonged to Harry and Ron. Harry and Ron were wearing their red and gold Quidditch uniforms with their brooms in hand. Hermione got up and ran towards them, Harry and Ron didn't even notice her until she arrived, flying into Harry's arms.
"Um... Hermione?" Harry asked, he was hugging her back, but he didn't know the reason why.
"Shush," Hermione replied while burying her head deeper into Harry's neck.
Ron looked like he was about to laugh out loud, but soon was given a glare from Harry and a little motion to leave them. He let out a chuckle and a whisper of 'finally' and rode off on his broom.
Harry and Hermione stood there for awhile, neither of them saying a word. Until, Harry slowly released his brunette friend, Hermione started talking.
"Harry, I've made a huge mistake of everything. Especially thinking that Malfoy would be my friend, but I guess not. I'm so sorry Harry, for what you had to go through over the summer. I'm really sorry," Hermione started to ramble, when Harry replied back while hugging her again.
"Mia, its okay. What are friends for?"
Hermione pushed Harry back slightly, "Friends?"
"Yeah, aren't we friends?" Harry questioned, he was beginning to be confused. Didn't Hermione just want to be friends? Didn't she only want that from him? Just to be there for her like a brother, just like Ron.
"Harry," Hermione started out, "I'm beginning to think that we should be more than friends. Of course, it's your choice. I mean, I know I haven't exactly approved of you liking me over the summer, but that changed. And - "
Hermione was cut off by Harry, "Hermione is that what I am? A guy friend who you want as a boyfriend just because Malfoy dumped you!"
"Harry, Malfoy and I were never together," she tried explaining.
"Really," Harry replied sarcastically.
"You have to believe me!"
"But what's with the change of heart all of the sudden now that we're back at school?" Harry asked.
"I don't know," Hermione replied back to the raven-haired boy although she knew exactly why she was doing this.
Harry looked at Hermione, his bright green eyes clashing against Hermione's hazel colored eyes, "Hermione are you serious?"
"Do I have to prove that I want to be with you?" Hermione asked while moving a little closer to Harry.
Harry smiled deviously and replied, "Possibly."
At this point in time, Hermione was only a few centimeters away from Harry's face. She wrapped her arms around his well developed shoulders while leaning closer. It seemed like ages until Hermione's lips made their way towards Harry's. Their kiss was simple and careful. Harry treated her as if she was fragile china, but still had a firm grip on Hermione's waist as if Hermione was a dream and if he let go, she'd disappear. But while kissing, Harry was smiling, and Hermione felt it. She started to giggle, and caused her to separate from the Gryffindor boy. Harry still had his arms around Hermione's waist, in the end. In the end, Hermione had to coax Harry that she was still here and would always be there for him to let her go. Harry, keeping one arm around her, sat on his broom, and then led Hermione to sit behind him. He finally lowered his arm around her waist, but instead Hermione quickly wrapped her arms around his waist. Harry started to laugh.
"Not funny! You of all the people know that I don't like flying!" Hermione complained to the young man.
"Well, I decided that it's time for you to learn to enjoy flying," Harry replied to Hermione.
While they were in the air, Draco was sitting on the ground by a far away tree that had a full view of the people flying in the stadium. He sighed, when looking at the new couple flying around. Somewhere in his mind he started to regret that he even suggested Granger to go and become a couple with Potter. Draco sighed on last time, he got up and left the Hogwarts Grounds. Leaving the new couple, what he said to her earlier, and lastly, Hermione.
OKAY, so how was it? I know it sucked, and sorry if there are STILL grammar mistakes. If anybody has a problem with it, fine. At least I'm not using computer slang and that whole lot. I'm still learning, so please, just understand that I just let microsoft check it for me. I DON'T DO IT MANUALLY!
And I'm also sorry for not updating for long, my computer broke down, and now I'm typing this on my laptop that I just got yesterday. Don't worry, if this one breaks down, I've got the other computer to go. So I think you all are all set for the winter break :)
OH! Before I get to the reveiwers... I see that nobody liked my Peeves song:( I'm sad.. hahah I'm just kidding. But there is a little hidden meaning in there. Try and figure it out!
BOTH CHAPTER SEVEN AND EIGHT REVIEWERS :
Inulover4eva : I'm glad that you liked this, and I hope that this suits you? I'm sorry that there isn't more Draco and Hermione, but the whole Harry and Hermione thing is a part of the MAIN plot. I'm sorry! But HANG ON! I'll get to the Draco and Hermione part sooner or later! Yeah.. new kid bad nes.
rizahawkeye21 : thank you! I thought that was a little funny that Draco yelled at Hermione. I mean.. come on.. Hermione? Doing the infamous Malfoy smirk? Scary... haha. Although this wasn't a great chapter, I hope you enjoy it.
silversmile : oh.. I hope you like this chapter! It's so bad though... :(
rowlinghermione : I thought about it too, your right, Draco wouldn't be falling for Hermione that quickly. Yeah, it's a little weird. So I sort of changed it up for you right here in this chapter. I hope this was a little bit okay. Yeah.. she does notice.. sort of. heh. AHH! Thank you for the compliments.. I don't really write all that well. I know this chapter sucks, but hey, there are times when some people can't even write at all.. formerly known as WRITERS BLOCK! And about the whole writing thing, like I said above, I'm not really going to spend my entire time thinking about all the mistakes that I have in the fic. I mean, if a little people complained to me that I should correct my gramatical errors, then believe me, I would. But in this case, only one reviewer told me that. Anyway.. THANK YOU!
U-No-Poo-Too : Thanks! Wow, I'm amazed that people didn't realize that I seemed like an 8th grade writer. I'm sort of pleased. :) Like I said to rowlinghermione, if many people complained to me about my gramatical mistakes, then I would've gone back and changed them. Well, at least I'm not writing like those people who write in internet slang and don't capitilize things that should be capitilized. Anyways.. thanks for reviewing. Oh, and athough this isn't the greatest chapter, I hope you enjoyed it!
crazyboy88 : thank you! Hope you enjoy this one.
kakashisninjadogs : phew.. that is one hard screen name to write out! laughing but I still love it. Don't worry, I think I'm trying to make you hate Blake. He's one of those guys who are just new and all the girls needed a someone new in the school. You know.. it's sort of like.. you've known this group of kids for so long but now that a new kid arrives, you're all like.. wow he's amazing. It's sort of like that, if that even made sense. Well, hope you liked this chapter, although I hated it.
i take people's whits : very creative screen name like kakashisninjadogs! lol. well.. thank you for telling me that this is a really good story. well, once you read later on, after I actually post it on here, I'm not so sure this will make you feel all giddy inside. It'll be a little.. frustrating and wanting for ... BLANK ... to go and BLANK... and BLANK with BLANK. Yeah.. can't tell you. sorry. :)
SharonAurora : I don't think I'm going to change my story to Romance/Humor just because it has cute lines. The angst part is for later in the chapters. WAAAAYYY later.
dRAcO maLFoY Is hOt : thank you! I know, I plan on not worrying about the grammar too much. If a lot of people complain, then I'm going to change it, but otherwise, nope.. I'm going to leave it as it is.
SharpielovesHarry : I know.. I plan to lighten up about my mistakes. If many people arecomplaing (this is like the fifth time I'm saying this) I'll correct it, but otherwise, OH WELL. I'm leaving it as it is.
THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone! ... I'm going to update sooner or later. And thanks for holding out for so long! I know I shouldn't push my luck, but I'm planning to reach... 49 for reviews. And I can't thank you all so much for making it past the number fourty:)
xXx33 susie